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Published on: July 21, 2018
Proximity in mice induced by an auditory-conditioned stimulus
Wataru Ito1, Alexei Morozov2,3
1Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Neurobiology Research at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA. wataru.ito@gmail.com.
Summary
Learned threats, like a conditioned stimulus (CS), can increase social proximity in mice. This effect requires familiarity and specific brain pathways, suggesting shared threat responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Social Behavior
Background:
- Social affiliation is crucial for survival and well-being.
- Proximity to others is essential for social contact.
- Innate threats increase social proximity, but learned threats' effects are unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if learned threats, specifically an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS), induce social proximity in mice.
- To identify the neural mechanisms and conditions underlying CS-evoked proximity.
Main Methods:
- Fear conditioning in mice using an auditory CS.
- Observing proximity in same-sex dyads during CS presentation.
- Utilizing DREADD-mediated suppression to test the role of basolateral amygdala-to-ventral hippocampus pathways.
- Administering an oxytocin receptor antagonist (L368,899) to assess oxytocin signaling.
Main Results:
- Fear-conditioned mice showed increased proximity during CS presentation, irrespective of freezing behavior.
- CS-evoked proximity was dependent on partner familiarity.
- Proximity required intact basolateral amygdala-to-ventral hippocampus connections.
- Oxytocin receptor signaling was essential for this learned threat-induced proximity.
Conclusions:
- Learned threats can elicit social proximity, similar to innate threats.
- Shared neural circuitry, involving the amygdala-hippocampus pathway and oxytocin signaling, may underlie proximity responses to both learned and innate threats.
- Familiarity plays a critical role in learned threat-induced social buffering.
